Altered cortical thickness and structural covariance networks in chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Despite regional brain structural changes having been reported in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), the topological properties of structural covariance networks (SCNs), which refer to the organization of the SCNs, remain unclear. This study applied graph theoretical analysis to explore the alterations of the topological properties of SCNs, aiming to comprehend the integration and separation of SCNs in patients with CLBP. METHODS: A total of 38 patients with CLBP and 38 healthy controls (HCs), balanced for age and sex, were scanned using three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The cortical thickness was extracted from 68 brain regions, according to the Desikan-Killiany atlas, and used to reconstruct the SCNs. Subsequently, graph theoretical analysis was employed to evaluate the alterations of the topological properties in the SCNs of patients with CLBP. RESULTS: In comparison to HCs, patients with CLBP had less cortical thickness in the left superior frontal cortex. Additionally, the cortical thickness of the left superior frontal cortex was negatively correlated with the Visual Analogue Scale scores of patients with CLBP. Furthermore, patients with CLBP, relative to HCs, exhibited lower global efficiency and small-worldness, as well as a longer characteristic path length. This indicates a decline in the brain's capacity to transmit and process information, potentially impacting the processing of pain signals in patients with CLBP and contributing to the development of CLBP. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the clustering coefficient, local efficiency, nodal efficiency, nodal betweenness centrality, or nodal degree between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: From the regional cortical thickness to the complex brain network level, our study demonstrated changes in the cortical thickness and topological properties of the SCNs in patients with CLBP, thus aiding in a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of CLBP.

Algorithm of automatic identification of diabetic retinopathy foci based on ultra-widefield scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

AIM: To propose an algorithm for automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) lesions based on ultra-widefield scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO). METHODS: The algorithm utilized the FasterRCNN (Faster Regions with CNN features)+ResNet50 (Residua Network 50)+FPN (Feature Pyramid Networks) method for detecting hemorrhagic spots, cotton wool spots, exudates, and microaneurysms in DR ultra-widefield SLO. Subimage segmentation combined with a deeper residual network FasterRCNN+ResNet50 was employed for feature extraction to enhance intelligent learning rate. Feature fusion was carried out by the feature pyramid network FPN, which significantly improved lesion detection rates in SLO fundus images. RESULTS: By analyzing 1076 ultra-widefield SLO images provided by our hospital, with a resolution of 2600×2048 dpi, the accuracy rates for hemorrhagic spots, cotton wool spots, exudates, and microaneurysms were found to be 87.23%, 83.57%, 86.75%, and 54.94%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm demonstrates intelligent detection of DR lesions in ultra-widefield SLO, providing significant advantages over traditional fundus color imaging intelligent diagnosis algorithms.

Altered volume of the amygdala subregions in patients with chronic low back pain.

Background: Neuroimaging studies have suggested a pivotal role for the amygdala involvement in chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, the relationship between the amygdala subregions and CLBP has not yet been delineated. This study aimed to analyze whether the amygdala subregions were linked to the development of CLBP. Methods: A total of 45 patients with CLBP and 45 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All subjects were asked to complete a three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (3D-T1 MRI) scan. FreeSurfer 7.3.2 was applied to preprocess the structural MRI images and segment the amygdala into nine subregions. Afterwards, comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of the volumes of the amygdala subregions. Correlation analysis is utilized to examine the relationship between the amygdala subregion and the scale scores, as well as the pain duration in patients with CLBP. Additionally, logistic regression was used to explore the risk of the amygdala and its subregions for CLBP. Results: In comparison to HCs, patients with CLBP exhibited a significant enlargement of the left central nucleus (Ce) and left cortical nucleus (Co). Furthermore, the increased volume of the left Ce was associated with a higher risk of CLBP. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the left Ce and left Co may be involved in the pathophysiological processes of CLBP. Moreover, the volume of the left Ce may be a biomarker for detecting the risk of CLBP.

Abnormal Spontaneous Neural Activity in Parkinson's Disease With "pure" Apathy.

BACKGROUND: Apathy is one of the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, its pathophysiology remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired at a 3.0T MRI scanner using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) metric in 20 de novo, drug-naïve, non-demented PD patients with apathy (PD-A), 26 PD patients without apathy (PD-NA) without comorbidity of depressive or anxious symptoms, and 23 matched healthy control (HC) subjects. RESULTS: We found that the ALFF decreased significantly in the bilateral nucleus accumbens, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with PD-A compared to patients with PD-NA and HC subjects. Furthermore, apathy severity was negatively correlated with the ALFF in the bilateral nucleus accumbens and dorsal ACC in the pooled patients with PD. CONCLUSION: The present study characterized the functional pattern of changes in spontaneous neural activity in patients with PD-A. With the aim to better elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for these changes, this study controlled for the potentially confounding effects of dopaminergic medication, depression, anxiety, and global cognitive impairment. The findings of the current study add to the literature by highlighting potential abnormalities in mesocorticolimbic pathways involved in the development of apathy in PD.

Alterations of regional homogeneity in Parkinson's disease with "pure" apathy: A resting-state fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Apathy is a prevalent and debilitating neuropsychiatric syndrome in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, its neural mechanisms are still unclear. METHODS: Forty-six de novo, drug-naïve, non-demented PD patients without depressive or anxious symptoms, of whom 26 were apathetic (PD-A) and 20 were not (PD-NA) according to the Apathy Scale (AS), and 23 matched healthy control (HC) subjects were enrolled in this study. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach based on resting-state functional MRI on a 3-T MR system was used to investigate apathy related local brain activity. RESULTS: Compared with both patients with PD-NA and HC subjects, patients with PD-A showed significantly lower ReHo values in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and right caudate. Both the PD-A and PD-NA groups also demonstrated lower ReHo values in the right putamen compared to the HC group. Further correlation analyses revealed that AS scores were negatively correlated with the ReHo values in the dorsal ACC and right caudate in the pooled patients with PD. LIMITATIONS: The present results are preliminary due to the small sample size in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study used ReHo for the first time to characterize "pure" apathy related regional spontaneous brain function within the frontostriatal circuits in PD. Our findings suggest that abnormal brain activity in the dorsal ACC and caudate may involve the pathological mechanisms of apathy in PD.

Dissecting the Genetic Architecture of Melon Chilling Tolerance at the Seedling Stage by Association Mapping and Identification of the Elite Alleles.

Low temperature is an important abiotic stress that negatively affects morphological growth and fruit development in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Chilling stress at the seedling stage causes seedling injury and poor stand establishment, prolonging vegetative growth and delaying fruit harvest. In this study, association mapping was performed for chilling tolerance at the seedling stage on an expanded melon core collection containing 212 diverse accessions by 272 SSRs and 27 CAPSs. Chilling tolerance of the melon seedlings was evaluated by calculating the chilling injury index (CII) in 2016 and 2017. Genetic diversity analysis of the whole accession panel presented two main groups, which corresponded to the two subspecies of C. melo, melo, and agrestis. Both the subspecies were sensitive to chilling but with agrestis being more tolerant. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted, respectively, on the whole panel and the two subspecies, totally detecting 51 loci that contributed to 74 marker-trait associations. Of these associations, 35 were detected in the whole panel, 21 in melo, and 18 in agrestis. About half of the associations identified in the two subspecies were also observed in the whole panel, and seven associations were shared by both the subspecies. CMCT505_Chr.1 was repeatedly detected in different populations with high phenotypic contribution and could be a key locus controlling chilling tolerance in C. melo. Nine loci were selected for evaluation of the phenotypic effects related to their alleles, which identified 11 elite alleles contributing to seedling chilling tolerance. Four such alleles existed in both the subspecies and six in either of the two subspecies. Analysis of 20 parental combinations for their allelic status and phenotypic values showed that the elite alleles collectively contributed to enhancement of the chilling tolerance. Tagging the loci responsible for chilling tolerance may simultaneously favor dissecting the complex adaptability traits and elevate the efficiency to improve chilling tolerance using marker-assisted selection in melon.

Time-dependent expression of PEDF and VEGF in blood serum and retina of rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy.

The effects of the balance changes of pigment epithelium growth factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in whole-body and retinal tissue on rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy were investigated. Forty-eight neonatal SD rats at the age of 7 days were randomly divided into 4 groups. The neonatal rats in experimental groups were exposed to 75% to 80% oxygen for 5 days and then to normal air, and those in control groups were kept feeding in normal air. At the age of 17 and 22 days, all the neonatal rats received retina angiography with FITC-dextran and the pathological changes of retinal vessels and perfusion were observed. HE staining of the tissue section and the number counting of endothelial cells extending beyond the inner limiting membrane were performed to evaluate the endothelial proliferation. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the expression of PEDF and VEGF in retinal tissue, and ELISA to detect their expression in serum. A hypoxic-ischemic proliferation of retina and more endothelial cells extending beyond the inner limiting membrane were found in the neonatal rats in both experimental groups of 17-day old and 22-day old as compared with those in control group with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.01). VEGF staining of the rats in the 17-day old experimental group was significantly stronger, with an increasing positive rate, than that of the rats in the 17-day old control group (P<0.01). PEDF staining of the rats of 22 days old was weaker than that of the rats of 17 days old in the experimental groups (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in serum VEGF concentration among all groups (P>0.05). The serum PEDF concentration in the rats of 17 days old in experimental group was decreased significantly as compared with that in the rats of 17 days old in control group (P<0.01), and in experimental groups, the serum PEDF concentration of the rats of 22 days old was increased as compared with that of the rats of 17 days old (P<0.01). In conclusion, the obviously decreased serum PEDF concentration and the abnormal enhanced expression of VEGF density in local retinal tissue broke down the balance of PEDF/VEGF in whole-body or local tissues, which might play an important role in retinal vascular proliferation.

Effect of intensity modulated radiotherapy combined with s-1-based chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The optimal radiotherapy technique and combination with systemic therapy in locally advanced gastric cancer patients are far from being resolved despite the fact that radiochemotherapy is becoming more attractive in contemporary clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 40 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at a dosage of 45-50.4 Gy concurrent with chemotherapy using S-1 solely or with a combination of oxaliplatin. Surgery was recommended for those who were evaluated as resectable. Sequential chemotherapy with various regimens was adopted based on the efficacy and tolerance of radiochemotherapy. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 75% according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and Japanese Gastric Cancer Association criteria. 24 finally underwent surgery, with 22 (91.7%) receiving an R0 resection (resection for cure or complete remission). The overall pathological response rate was 37.5% (9/24). Patients receiving an R0 resection had a higher 2-year overall survival rate (64.7 vs. 16.2%, p = 0.001) and local relapse-free survival rate (90.2 vs. 29.3%, p = 0.000), while there was no difference in distant metastasis-free survival rate (66.1 and 48.1% p = 0.231). Hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities of grade 1 or grade 2 were relatively common. CONCLUSION: The high rate of R0 resections and low rate of locoregional recurrence suggest that IMRT combined with S-1-based chemotherapy is an effective treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer patients.

Lung squamous cell carcinoma metastasizing to the nasopharynx following bronchoscopy intervention therapies: a case report.

Metastatic carcinoma to the nasopharynx is extremely rare, and few cases have been reported in the literature. In the present report, we describe the case of a patient with a mass in the nasopharynx found by bronchoscopy. Our patient was a 61-year-old man receiving multiple bronchoscopy intervention therapies for advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which was histopathologically confirmed. The SCC metastasized to the nasopharynx following the bronchoscopy intervention therapies. The lesion was considered metastatic from lung cancer on the basis of clinical and histological clues. The exact mechanism of lung cancer metastasis to the nasopharynx in this case remains unclear because either implantation or hematogenous and lymphatic spread is possible. A thorough head and neck examination should be undertaken during bronchoscopic evaluation, especially in patients receiving bronchoscopy intervention therapies. The early detection of a silent nasopharyngeal metastasis is important to choosing from among the multiple treatment options available.

Gastric and duodenal squamous cell carcinoma: metastatic or primary?

Either metastatic or primary squamous cell carcinoma in the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare, with very few cases reported in the literature. In this paper, we report a case in which the patient presented with dysphagia during the course of radiotherapy for recurrent lung cancer in a mediastinal lymph node. Although the dysphagia mimicked radiation esophagitis, the ultimate cause proved to be gastric and duodenal metastases from primary lung squamous cell carcinoma. Taking into account the value of identification of metastatic or primary SCC in the stomach and duodenum on the prognosis and treatment options, it is imperative that the correct diagnosis be established. This report is followed by a discussion of the differential diagnosis between metastatic and primary squamous cell carcinoma in the stomach and duodenum.

[Effect of protamine on VEGF expression in vitreous and serum of rats with diabetic].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of protamine on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in vitreous and serum of rats with diabetic. METHODS: 110 rats were included in the study, with 10 rats for normal control and the other 100 for diabetic models that induced by Streptozocin intraperitoneal injection. Then 80 rats with diabetic were used as eight groups: three groups (T1, T2 and T3) for intravitreal injection of protamine (50 microg protamine in 5 microL), and the other five groups were used as control. After 3 months, the T1, T2 and T3 group received the first injection; after 4 months, the T2 and T3 group received the second injection; after 5 months, the T3 group received the third injection. The rats were executed one week after their last injection, the retinae of the rats were taken for HE staining, and expression of VEGF in the serum and vitreous were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: As diabetic developed, VEGF expression in both serum and vitreous rised (P < 0.05); after the second protamine injection, VEGF expression in vitreous began to decrease obviously (P < 0.05); but VEGF expression in the serum didn't change by protamine. Rat retinal HE staining for the diabetic model group revealed retinal thickening, local interrupt, inner and outer nuclear layer cell derangement and vascular proliferation, which were significantly improved for the treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of protamine reduced VEGF expression in vitreous of rats with diabetic, and protamine might be a new treatment for diabetic retinopathy, especially for retinal neovascularization.

Prognostic impact of vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression in resected gallbladder carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression and other confirmed prognostic factors in predicting clinical outcomes after the resection of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). Between January 1999 and January 2006, a total of 84 consecutive and non-selected patients who underwent resection for GBC were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 84 patients studied, 45 cases (53.6%) exhibited high expression of VEGF-A and were placed into the high expression group. The 14 cases (16.7%) that showed no VEGF expression and the 25 cases (29.7%) that had lower VEGF-A levels were pooled into the low expression group (46.4%). There was a relationship between VEGF-A status and pM stage (P = 0.027) as well as histologic differentiation (P < 0.001). In univariate analysis by log-rank test, ECOG performance status, CA 19-9, pN stage, pM stage, histologic differentiation, and VEGF-A expression were significant prognostic factors (P = 0.015, 0.001, 0.020, <0.001, 0.040, and <0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that pN status and VEGF-A expression maintained independent prognostic influence on overall survival (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively). VEGF-A expression has a positive correlation with pM stage and histologic differentiation. pN status and VEGF-A expression were independent prognostic factors of overall survival in patients with resected GBC.

[Effects of travoprost on actin cytoskeleton and ß-catenin in the human trabecular meshwork cells treated with Dexamethasone].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of travoprost on changes of actin cytoskeletal and ß-catenin protein in the cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells treated with dexamethasone (DEX). METHODS: It was a control experiment study. The HTM cells were cultured in vitro and divided into control group, DEX (1 × 10(-6) mol/L) group, travoprost (1 × 10(-6) mol/L) group, and DEX (1 × 10(-6) mol/L) plus travoprost (1 × 10(-6) mol/L) group. F-actin in the HTM cells was detected by FITC-phalloidin and observed under a fluorescence microscope. The expression of ß-catenin was determined by immunofluorescence and western-blot. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS13.0 software. The difference of ß-catenin expression among groups was analyzed through variance analysis and, further by q test. RESULTS: The cultured HTM cells were identified by immunohistochemistry. A reorganization of actin cytoskeletal and a formation of cross linked actin networks (CLANs) were seen in the HTM cells treated with DEX, which were partially reversed by the treatment with DEX plus travoprost. An increase of the expression of ß-catenin was discovered in the HTM cells treated with DEX, which was also partially reversed by the treatment with DEX plus travoprost. The amount of ß-catenin protein in untreated control group, DEX group, DEX plus travoprost group and travoprost group were 0.84 ± 0.03, 1.65 ± 0.05, 1.21 ± 0.05, and 0.65 ± 0.04, respectively. Expression of ß-catenin was significantly (F = 143.07, P < 0.05) different when compared untreated control group with DEX group (q = 15.32, P < 0.05), untreated control group with DEX plus travoprost group (q = 11.40, P < 0.05), DEX group with DEX plus travoprost group (q = 9.38, P < 0.05), DEX group with travoprost group (q = 16.55, P < 0.05), and DEX plus travoprost group with travoprost group (q = 14.31, P < 0.05). No difference was found in untreated control group and travoprost group (q = 2.84, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that reversion of the changes of actin organization and ß-catenin by travoparost in the HTM cells treated with DEX may partially elucidate the mechanism of action of increasing outflow by which travoprost reduces intraocular pressure.

Adjuvant radiotherapy for gallbladder cancer: a dosimetric comparison of conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of conformal radiotherapy (CRT) and compare with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in the treatment of gallbladder cancer. METHODS: Between November 2003 and January 2010, 20 patients with gallbladder cancer were treated with CRT with or without chemotherapy after surgical resection. Preliminary survival data were collected and examined using both Kaplan-Meier and actuarial analysis. Demographic and treatment parameters were collected. All patients were planned to receive 46-56 Gy in 1.8 or 2.0 Gy per fraction. CRT planning was compared with IMRT. RESULTS: The most common reported acute toxicities requiring medication (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 2) were nausea (10/20 patients) and diarrhea (3/20). There were no treatment-related deaths. Compared with CRT planning, IMRT significantly reduced the volume of right kidney receiving > 20 Gy and the volume of liver receiving > 30 Gy. IMRT has a negligible impact on the volume of left kidney receiving > 20 Gy. The 95% of prescribed dose for a planning tumor volume using either 3D CRT or IMRT planning were 84.0% ± 6.7%, 82.9% ± 6.1%, respectively (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: IMRT achieves similar excellent target coverage as compared with CRT planning, while reducing the mean liver dose and volume above threshold dose. IMRT offers better sparing of the right kidney compared with CRT planning, with a significantly lower mean dose and volume above threshold dose.

Depletion of the proteasome subunit PSMA7 inhibits colorectal cancer cell tumorigenicity and migration.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths throughout the world. Recently, we reported that proteasome subunit PSMA7 located on 20q13 amplicon was overexpressed and associated with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer. The results indicate that PSMA7 may play an important role in the colorectal cancer progression and provide a unique target site for the development of therapeutic drugs. However, it is unknown how aberrant PSMA7 activation critically regulates the metastatic behavior of colorectal cancer cells. To investigate the role of PSMA7 in the progression of colorectal cancer, we employed the RNA interference technology to knock down the PSMA7 gene in human colon cancer cell line RKO and analyzed its effect and explored the involved mechanisms. Depletion of PSMA7 by shRNA in RKO cells inhibited their anchorage-independent growth and cell invasion and migration. Moreover, PSMA7 depletion was able to strongly suppress the in vivo tumorigenic ability of RKO cells. These effects may be induced by inhibiting CD44 expression directly or indirectly. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of PSMA7 may therefore be a beneficial strategy in the treatment of colorectal cancer patients.

Port site and distant metastases of gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy diagnosed by positron emission tomography.

We report port site and distant metastases of unsuspected gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy diagnosed by positron emission tomography (PET) in two patients. Patient 1, a 72-year-old woman was diagnosed as cholelithiasis and cholecystitis and received laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Unsuspected gallbladder cancer was discovered with histological result of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder infiltrating the entire wall. A PET scan using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) before radical resection revealed residual tumor in the gallbladder fossa and recurrence at port site and metastases in bilateral hilar lymph nodes. Patient 2, a 69-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy more than one year ago with pathologically confirmed unsuspected adenosquamous carcinoma of stage pT1b. At 7-mo follow-up after surgery, the patient presented with nodules in the periumbilical incision. Excisional biopsy of the nodule revealed adenosquamous carcinoma. The patient was examined by FDG-PET, demonstrating increased FDG uptake in the right lobe of the liver and mediastinal lymph nodes consistent with metastatic disease. This report is followed by a discussion about the utility of FDG-PET in the gallbladder cancer.

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer.

AIM: To investigate the effect of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-DCRT) in combination with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with unresectable recurrent rectal cancer were randomized and treated by 3-DCRT or 3-DCRT combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy between September 2001 and October 2003. For the patients without prior radiation history, the initial radiation was given to the whole pelvis by traditional methods with tumor dose of 40 Gy, followed by 3-DCRT for the recurrent lesions to the median total cumulative tumor dose of 60 Gy (range 56-66 Gy); for the post-radiation recurrent patients, 3-DCRT was directly given for the recurrent lesions to the median tumor dose of 40 Gy (36-46 Gy). For patients in the study group, two cycles chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 regimen were given concurrently with radiotherapy, with the first cycle given simultaneously with the initiation of radiation and the second cycle given in the fifth week for patients receiving conventional pelvis radiation or given in the last week of 3-DCRT for patients receiving 3-DCRT directly. Another 2-4 cycles (average 3.6 cycles) sequential FOLFOX4 regimen chemotherapy were given to the patients in the study group, beginning at 2-3 wk after chemoradiation. The outcomes of symptoms relieve, tumor response, survival and toxicity were recorded and compared between the study group and the control group. RESULTS: For the study group and the control group, the pain-alleviation rates were 95.2% and 91.3% (P > 0.05); the overall response rates were 56.5% and 40.0% (P > 0.05); the 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 86.9%, 50.2% and 80.0%, 23.9%, with median survival time of 25 mo and 16 mo (P < 0.05); the 2-year distant metastasis rates were 39.1% and 56.0% (P = 0.054), respectively. The side effects, except peripheral neuropathy which was relatively severer in the study group, were similar in the the two groups and well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional conformal radio-therapy combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer is a feasible and effective therapeutic approach, and can reduce distant metastasis rate and improve the survival rate.

Pre-operative radiochemotherapy of locally advanced rectal cancer.

AIM: To evaluate results of pre-operative radiochemotherapy followed by surgery for 15 patients with locally advanced un-resectable rectal cancer. METHODS: 15 patients with advanced non-resectable rectal cancer were treated with pre-operative irriadiation of 40-46 Gy plus concomitant chemotherapy (5-FU+LV and 5'-DFuR) (RCS group). For comparison, 27 similar patients, treated by preoperative radiotherapy (40-50 Gy) plus surgery were served as control (RS group). RESULTS: No radiochemotherapy or radiotherapy was interrupted and then was delayed because of toxicities in both groups. The radical resectability rate was 73.3 % in the RCS group and 37.0 % (P=0.024) in RS group. Sphincter preservation rates were 26.6 % and 3.7 % respectively (P=0.028). Sphincter preservation rates of lower rectal cancer were 27.3 % and 0.0 % respectively (P=0.014). Response rates of RCS and RS groups were 46.7 % and 18.5 % (P=0.053). The tumor downstage rates were 8 (53.3 %) and 9 (33.3 %) in these groups (P=0.206). The 3-year overall survival rates were 66.7 % and 55.6 % (P=0.485), and the disease free survival rates were 40.1 % and 33.2 % (P=0.663). The 3-year local recurrent rates were 26.7 % and 48.1 % (P=0.174). No obvious late effects were found in either groups. CONCLUSION: High resectability is possible following pre-operative radiochemotherapy and can have more sphincters preserved. It is important to improve the quality of the patients' life even without increasing the survival or local control rates. Preoperative radiotherapy with concomitant full course chemotherapy (5-Fu+LV and 5'-DFuR) is effective and safe.